The main types of contact lenses are soft, rigid gas permeable, and specialty.
Soft contacts are the most popular type of contact lenses people choose to wear. As the name suggests, they are made from a soft, more flexible plastic that lends itself to being more comfortable for the user to wear. Soft contact lenses are categorized by how long they can be worn at a time including:

• Dailies: These are worn daily and removed before going to sleep. A new pair is worn every day.
• Bi-weekly or monthly: These are worn for 2-4 weeks at a time.

Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) contact lenses are made from a hard plastic. They are more durable than soft contact lenses and tend to provide sharper vision. It may take a few weeks to adapt to using RGP contact lenses.  
Specialty contact lenses are for those who have certain eye conditions that prevent them from wearing soft or rigid gas permeable lenses. The two main types of specialty contact lenses are:

• Ortho-K lenses: This is a type of RGP lens primarily used to correct for nearsightedness. An ortho-k lens is worn overnight so it can reshape the cornea as you sleep. The lenses are then removed in the morning.
• Scleral lenses: This is a type of RGP lens used for those who have corneal issues, severe dry eye, or hard-to-fit eyes. Scleral lenses are a larger diameter than a typical RGP lens. They also cover the entire cornea and rest on the scleral, or the white part of the eye. Scleral lenses are often used for patients with advanced keratoconus.

In addition to a routine eye exam , a contact lens fitting is necessary for any patient who wears contact lenses or is interested in becoming a contact lens wearer. Every eye is different so contact lenses need to be properly fitted to ensure comfort and healthy eyes. During a contact lens fitting, the optometrist will perform special measurements such as corneal curvature, pupil size, iris size, and tear film evaluation. Once all the measurements are taken and a contact lens is chosen, your eye doctor may also have you wear a trial set of contact lenses for a few minutes to ensure they are the best option for you.

To keep your eyes healthy, it's important to wear and take care of your contact lenses properly. You should follow the instructions your optometrist has given you based on the type of contact lenses you wear. However, a few general recommendation include:

• Always wash your hands before inserting contact lens to avoid dirt from entering the eye.
• Don't sleep in your contacts lenses unless approved by your optometrist.
• Don't swim or shower in contact lenses as bacteria may cause infection.
• Don't use water to clean your contact lenses. Use the proper disinfecting solution.
• Replace your contact lens case every 90 days.

We offer a few convenient ways for you to order your contact lenses. You may place your order with Tri-Century Eye Care by either phone, website, or logging in to your patient portal.